Adjustable seat support



Oct 13, l942- J. P. DE ROSE ADJUSTABLE sm suPPoRT Filed June 28, 1940 l'u L N VEA/TOR don/v 7? DEFosE ATyTO'RNE Oct. 13, 1942. J. P. DE RosaADJUSTABLE SEAT SUPPORT Filed June 28, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m HllllllllPatented Oct. 13, 1942 UNITED'v STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE sEAfrsUrPon'r Jaim P. ne msc, Albany, Calif. Appna'uon Jane 2s, 1940, vseraliNo. 342,997

, -s claims ((1155-14) Thevinvention relates to an adjustable support',

fore-and-aft positioning with respect to the base of the mounting. l

-Another object is to provide the positioning control at a side of theseat and mounting, the control means comprisingga single .element formanipulationtolr selectively permit the various adjustments providedjor. The inventionypossesses'other objects'and fea"-` tures ofadvantagesxvsome ofwhich, with the for'egoing, will beset forthor beapparentlin the following description of av typicalv embodiment thereof,and in the accompanyingdrawings in which, y Figure l is a side view of a`seaturiit embodying the features of present invention and mounted on asupporting floor.

Figure 2 is a front viewxof the assembly of Fig-` ure 1, a major portion'of the seat back being broken away. y

Figure 3 is a plan view of the seat mounting taken at the line 3-3 in'Figure 1,

Figures 4 and 5 are'sectional .elevations taken respectively at lines4-4'and 5 5 in Figure 3'.

I4 and I5 ina manner to support the former from the latter. The membersI4 comprise rectangular plate elements provided with flanges I4'extending transverselytherefrom at their bottom edges to provide floorbearings for the plates and a means by which the plates may be securedto a floor I2 in relatively fixed and mutually parallel relation, as bybolts I8. The members I5 comprise plates having transverse edge flangesI5v by which they maybe secured to the seat bottom I3, as by boltsv I9,in spaced parallel re,

lationv for their simultaneous disposal opposite and adjacent themutually opposed inner faces ofthe-plates I4.

' Near theirupper edges and in front portions Adjacent their frontedges, the plate members Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section Qtaken at the line 6-6 in FigureS.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a gear-lock-- ing element of themounting.

-The features of the present invention are particularly disclosed asembodied in the structure of a seat unit which comprises a seatlSl'havingA a back Ill and mounted on an adjustable support assemblywhich extends from a supporting surface II such as that provided by afloor I2. The present seat 9 is of ausual upholsteredtype` having arigid bottom plate or frame I3 for direct mounting on the adjustablesupport structure of the p-resent invention. The present unit has beenparticularly designed' for its installa.- tion in a motor-driven vehiclefor use`v by the operator of the vehicle, though usable Whereverv itstypes of adjustment are advantageous.`

Essentially, the present seat support. means comprises a pair of basemembers I4 for fixing to the floor I2 to extend upwardly therefrom, apair of members I5 for xing to the seat bottom I3 to depend therefrom,and a pair of rod members I6 and Il engaging both pairs of members I5are'provided with similarly disposed interior slots 22 which areperpendicular toA the edge of the member which abuts the seat bottom I3.The rod I6 extends through both of the pairs of slots .2I and 22respectively provided in the members I4 and I5, said slots havinguniform and like Widths to permit the movement of the rod laterallythereof in the slots.'V Near their upper edges and in rear portionsthereof, the

members I4 are each provided with an interior slot 23 corresponding totheir forward slots 2|,

and the members I5 are provided toward their'v rear ends with uprightslots 24 corresponding to their forwardupright slots 22. The rod I 1 isengaged for its lateral sliding through the pairs of slots 23 and 24.

With the rods I6 and I1 engaged in the different sets of front and rearslots in the described manner, it will be understood that th'e seat andthe members I5 thereon might be supported by the bearing of the upperends of the slots 22 and 24 on the rods I6 and I1 respectively Which arein turn supported on the bottom edgesof the horizontal slots 2l and 23of the members I4. The centers of the slots 2| and 23 have the samemutual spacing as the slots 23 and 24, whereby a fore-and-aft adjustmenton the base provided by the members I4 is permitted for the members I5and the seat.

Since any fore-and-aft adjustment of the seat is desirably equal at bothseat sides (ends), means are provided to insure such .equality ofadjustment. As particularly illustrated, gears 2 5 are fixed on theextending ends of the rods I'I members`l4 in parallel relation to theirrear bers I5 at various distances from the tops of the slots 22 and 24respectively. As particularly shown, gears 21 are xed on the rod I9 andon a hollow shaft 99 receiving the portion of the rod I1 between themembers I5 at points adjacent ther inner faces of the members I5',constantly mesh with gear racks 29 mounted on the members I5 in parallelrelation to the slots 22 and 24, and are normally held against rotationas a means to xedly space the rods from the seat bottom I9. It will be'understood that like vertical adjustments of the seat at its frontand/or rear when the gears are free to turn are assured by reason of theengagement of the pairs of gears 21 for the rod I6 and the tubular shaft99 with their corresponding racks 29.

As shown, each of the gears 21 is normally locked against rotation by astop in the form of a rack 29 for engaging a gear 21 at the oppositeside thereof from its rack 25, and the appropriate stop racks 29 arearranged for their disposal out of their gear-engaging positions when anadjustment of the seat height is to be made. It will be understood thatthe arrangement is designed to permit mutually independent front andrear height adjustments of the seat whereby the angularity and height ofthe seat are both changeable with the present device.

With particular reference to the stop racks 29, it will be noted thatthe teeth thereof are provided at one side edge of a plate 9| havingmutually aligned bearing trunnions 92 extending in a line parallel tothe rack line and adjacent its other side edge, and having a lever arm99 extending transversely from it. The trunnions 92 are engaged inbearing bores provided respectively in the flange I5' of the member I5and projections 99 extending transversely from the member I5 near itsbottom edge. The arrangement is such that the stop rack 29 may be rockedbetween a position in which it is engaged by the teeth lof plates I4 forreleasably securing the seat in a desired fore-and-aft adjusted positionthereoi. 'I'he bolts 99 are provided near the bottom edges of the platesI5 and are slidably mounted in and between aligned bores provided in theplates and in the heads of U-brackets 42 mounted at the inner faces ofthe plates I5, the bolt having a head 99 which extends beyond thebracket. An helical spring 49 encircles the bolt 99 between the bracketportion receiving the bolt and a seat ring 44 fixed to the bolt forurging the operative disposal of the bolt.

It 4will now be noted that the release of the normally operative stopracks 29 and bolts 99 is arranged to be effected through appropriatemanipulations of a rod or shaft 41 winch is rotatably and slidablyengaged through bearing openings provided in the plate members I5adjacent their tops and intermediate their lengths in a line which isparallel to the rods I5 and I1. The member I5 at one side of the seat isprovided with an outwardly extending bracket arm 49 in the plane of itsflange I5' and provided with a down-tumed portion 49 which also receivesthe control shaft 41 therethrough. A handle member 5I is hingedlymounted at the free end of the shaft 41 beyond the bracket portion 49,said handle normally extending upwardly opposite the adjacent seat side.A shank portion 52 of the handle comprises a member which is of channelcross-section at its lower portion, and receives the shaft end betweenits sides 59 to which it is hinged by a pin 54 at a point which is aless distance from the plane of the free side edges of its parts 59 thanfrom the plane of its lower end. The slotted handle side opposite thebracket portion 49 is normally held flat against a bearing ring 55 whichslidably receives the shaft and engages the part 48. 'I'he arrangementis such that an outward swinging of the handle with respect to the seatwill axially displace the shalt in the same direction, thel free lowercorners of the shank parts 59 being rounded oil to facilitate thisaction. A suitable handle knob 56 is mounted at the other en'd of theshank member 52.

It will now be noted that the described axial shifting of the shaft 41by swinging the handle 5I outwardly is arranged to simultaneouslywithdraw both of the bolts 99 to permit a fore-andthe corresponding gear21 and a position in which it is free of the gear. When a rack 25engages a gear 21, the member I5 is supported by and between the racks29 and 29 through the engaged gear 21. When both stop racks 29 at eitherthe front or rear of the seat are inoperatively disposed, the seat isfreed thereat for its raising or lowering to a new position, thepositioning of the stop rack 29 being controlled through a means whichis operative through the arms 99 and is hereinafter described.

Means are provided for securing the seat in the fore-and-aft adjustmentwhich is permitted by the laterally slidable bearing engagement of therods I5 and I1 with the bottoms of the slots 2| and 29 of the basemembers I4, it being noted that the slots 2| and 29 comprise, in effect,parts of a single slot and might be so considered and/or provided. Asparticularly shown in Figures 1 and 4, the plates I4 are each providedwith a similar set of upright andk laterally spaced interior slots 91intermediately of the horizontal slots 2I and 29, and similar springbolts 99 mounted at-intermediate points of the members I5 areselectively engageable in corresponding slots 91 of the 75 aftadjustment movement of the seat on its base, and suitable connectionsare provided between the shaft and bolts for the purpose. Asparticularly shown, a bracket 51 extends inwardly from the member I5 andpivotally carries a centrally pivoted lever 59 which has one forked end59 which receives the shank of the corresponding bolt 99 and engages thebolt head, and a fork 5I at its other end which receives the shaft 41adjacent a sleeve 52 ilxed on the shaft. An arm 59 fixed on the shaft 41extends radially from the shaft and has its free end forked to receivethe shank of the other bolt 99 and bear against the bolt head. Thearrangement is such that the described swinging of the handle 5I intoline with the shaft will simultaneously effect the withdrawal of bothbolts 99 to free the seat for its fore-and-aft adjustment. It will beunderstood that the bolt springs 49 are jointly cooperative toresiliently hold either the bearing side or the free end of the handleshank 52 flat against the bearing ring 55.

The sleeve 52 and a sleeve 54 on the control shaft 41 are provided withrigid arms 55 which are normally disposed to extend downwardly from theshaft and are in mutually parallel relation. Headed pivot pins 66 extendfrom the outer ends of the arms 65 with their axes parallel to the shaftand are engaged in longitudinal slots 61 provided in links 68 which havetheir other ends pivoted to the extremities of the stop rack arms 33.The arrangement is such that a rotary rocking of the shaft 41 maysimultaneously and selectively effect a gear-releasing disposal ofeither the front or rear pair of stop racks to thereby free thecorresponding gear to permit an up or down adjustment of the seatthereat. Springs 69 are reactive between the members I and the outerends of the lever arms 33 to yieldingly resist a rotation of the shaftto displace either pair of stop racks whereby to normally retain theshaft in a rotatably centered position.

In terms of the present showing in which the handle 5I is provided atthe left side (end) of the seat, it will' be understood that the seatmay be freed for raising or lowering at its front by swinging the handlein a counter-clockwise direction to disengage the front pair of stopracks 29. On the other hand, a clockwise swinging of the handle willrelease the rear of the seat for its up and down adjustment. It willthus be understood that a large number of adjustments of both height andangularity may be provided and maintained with the present device.

A semi-elliptic leaf spring 1| is preferably engaged between the seatbottom I3 and the tubular shaft 30 on the rod I1 for constantly urging alifting of the back portion of the seat with respect to the rod. Asshown, the spring 'll is provided with a central perforation for itsfixing to the seat bottom as by a bolt I2 and has its extremitiescylindrically curved for their slidable seating upon the shaft 30.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation ofthe present seat support will be readily understood by those skilled inthe art to which the invention appertains. While I have described thefeatures and the principles of operation of a structure which I nowconsider to be a preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire to haveit understood that the showing is primarily illustrative, and that suchchanges may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a seat, a seat-supporting means comprising aplate member supported in upright positionbeneath the seat infore-andaft relation theretcr and provided with horizontal slots infront and rear portions thereof, support elements carried by the seatand constantly engaged in the different said slots for cooperativelysupportingthe seat upon the plate for its foreand-aft adjustment andmeans entirely on the seat providing for independent adjustments of thespacing of the operative support elements with respect to the seatVwhereby to adjustably vary the fore-and-aft angularity of the seat.

2. In combination with a seat, a seat-supporting means comprising a baseplate member supported in upright position beneath the seat infore-and-aft relation thereto and provided with spaced openings in frontand rear portions thereof, laterally spaced support elements carried bythe seat and constantly engaged in the different said openings forcooperatively supporting the seat upon the plate, and means entirely onthe seat to independently adjust the spacing of a said operative supportelement with respect to the seat in a fixed line transverse to the seatplane whereby to adjustably vary the fore-and-aft angularity of thesupported seat, at least one of said base plate openings comprising ahorizontal slot to permit the required variation in the mutual spacingof the support elements as the spacing of a said element with respect tosaid seat is varied by said adjustment means therefor.

3. In combination with a seat, a seat-supporting means comprising aplate member supported in upright position beneath the seat infore-andaft relation thereto and provided with spaced openings in frontand rear portions thereof, rotatable rod elements carried by the seatand constantly engaging the bottoms of the different said openings forcooperatively supporting the seat upon the plate, a gear on a said rodeleent, an upright rack on the seat constantly engaged by the gear, andmeans on the seat normally operative to secure the rod against rotationand releasable to permit an adjusted spacing of the rod with respect tothe seat.

4. A structure in accordance with claim 3 having a spring meansconstantly operative between the seat and a rod element to constantlyurge a separation of the' seat and rod.

5. A structure in accordance with claim 3 wherein the last meanscomprises a second rack mounted on the seat in normal engagement withthe said gear to prevent its rotation and arranged for its displacementout of its gear-engagingposition.

6. A structure in accordance with claim 3 wherein the last meanscomprises a rack pivoted on the seat for swinging about an axis parallelto its longitudinal line and secured against longitudinal displacementand normally engaging the teeth of the gear.

7. In combination with a seat, a seat-supporting means comprising a pairof mutually spaced base members disposed beneath the seat in foreand-aftrelation thereto and provided with corresponding horizontal slots, apair of laterally spaced support rods adjustably carried by the seatlongitudinally thereof and constantly engaged in and between the saidhorizontal slots for cooperatively supporting the seat for itsforeand-aft adjustment, mutually independent means releasably securingsaid rods on said seat in adjusted spaced relation thereto, and meanscarried entirely by the seat for actuation to selectively release saidrods for their adjustment with respect to the seat.

8. In a seat-supporting means, a base member providing a plate disposedin upright position 'beneath the seat in fore-and aft relation theretoand provided with a horizontal slot, a plate depending from the seat infixed relation thereto and adjacent and transversely of the base plateand provided with an upright slot in crossing relation to the rst slot,a rod member engaged through both of said slots transverselyv of theplates and laterally slidable in and along the slots. and means carriedentirely by the seat for releasably securing the rod in variablyadjusted position in the upright slot while the rod is supportedlyengaged in the horizontal slot for move ment therealong.v

JOHN P. DE ROSE..

